OBSERVATORY ALMANAC · NOCTURNAL DISPATCH

Tonight under the Sky

42.73°N, 7.33°WEurope/Madrid

Astronomical Twilight-15.2° (−12° to −18°)

20:56:55

Fri, Oct 23, 2026

PHOTOMETRIC TWILIGHT SPECTRUM10h 10m of true darkness · 13h 19m total night

DaylightCivil (−6°)Nautical (−12°)Astro (−18°)Dark Sky (<−18°)

TRUE DARK SKY WINDOW

Sunset19:34

Civil Dusk20:03

Nautical20:36

Full Dark21:09

Nadir02:13

Dark Ends07:18

Nautical07:51

Civil Dawn08:24

Sunrise08:53

LIVE REAL-TIME OBSERVATION

SunsetSunrise

LOCAL SKY PLANISPHERE · STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

All-Sky Nocturnal Dome

Click any body to inspect telemetry

LUNAR EPHEMERISWaxing Gibbous

ILLUMINATION93%

ALTITUDE29.5°

DISTANCE379,762 km

Moonrise18:04

Moonset06:49

HorizonAbove

LUNAR INTERFERENCE INDEX46% · Moderate Lunar Glow

Milky Way contrast is softened. Bright open clusters and double stars are optimal.

ATMOSPHERIC SEEING & CLOUD PROFILETonight's Index

66/100

Good Stargazing

Fine observing conditions. Open star clusters and nebulae will exhibit crisp structure.

CLOUD COVER15%

HUMIDITY50%

VISIBILITY18 km

DEW POINT10.8°C

PLANETARY EPHEMERIS & ALMANAC

Visible Planets Tonight

All times calibrated to Europe/Madrid

PLANET	STATUS	MAGNITUDE	ALTITUDE	AZIMUTH	CONSTELLATION	RISE	TRANSIT	SET	EQUIPMENT
Venus♀	Below Horizon	-4.3	-20.8°	265°	Libra	09:16	14:07	19:00	Naked Eye
Jupiter♃	Below Horizon	-2.0	-30.4°	341°	Leo	03:04	10:05	17:02	Naked Eye
Saturn♄	Visible Low	0.3	21.9°	110°	Pisces	18:52	01:00	07:07	Naked Eye
Mars♂	Below Horizon	1.0	-28.5°	351°	Cancer	02:16	09:30	16:42	Naked Eye
Mercury☿	Below Horizon	0.4	-7.5°	249°	Libra	10:51	15:31	20:11	Binoculars
Uranus♅	Below Horizon	5.6	-1.4°	59°	Taurus	21:06	04:31	12:00	Binoculars
Neptune♆	Visible Low	7.8	25.6°	117°	Pisces	18:29	00:30	06:31	Telescope

TONIGHT'S VIEWING SCHEDULE

When & Where to Look Tonight

A simple guide to when each object is above your horizon. No astronomy chart reading required.

BEST TIMEHighest in your sky

The MoonNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:04

BEST TIME00:20S · 50° high

SETS06:49

Reaches about 50° above the horizon at its highest point.Waxing Gibbous (93% illuminated). Moderate Lunar Glow.

JupiterNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES03:04

BEST TIME10:05S · 62° high

SETS17:02

Reaches about 62° above the horizon at its highest point.Bright golden disc; four Galilean moons easily seen in 7x50 binoculars.

SaturnNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES18:52

BEST TIME01:00S · 49° high

SETS07:07

Reaches about 49° above the horizon at its highest point.Pale amber jewel; majestic ring system visible in any 60mm telescope.

VenusNaked Eye · Good height

RISES09:16

BEST TIME14:07S · 29° high

SETS19:00

Reaches about 29° above the horizon at its highest point.Brilliant dazzling beacon; visible crescent phase in small telescope.

MarsNaked Eye · High in the sky

RISES02:16

BEST TIME09:30S · 65° high

SETS16:42

Reaches about 65° above the horizon at its highest point.Distinctive crimson hue; polar ice cap discernible near opposition.

OBSERVING LOG & TARGET LIST

Tonight's Prime Deep-Sky Targets

0 / 6 targets logged tonight

M31 / NGC 224 · Andromeda

Andromeda Galaxy

Spiral Galaxy (2.5M ly)

Our galactic neighbor; visible as a ghostly oval smudge with dense radiant stellar core.

M45 · Taurus

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Open Star Cluster

Breathtaking blue diamond cluster enshrouded in delicate interstellar reflection nebulosity.

M42 / NGC 1976 · Orion

Great Orion Nebula

Diffuse Emission Nebula

Star nursery harboring the brilliant Trapezium cluster with sprawling bat-wing filaments.

NGC 869 & NGC 884 · Perseus

The Double Cluster

Twin Open Clusters

Pair of spectacular shimmering jewel-boxes bursting with ruby supergiant stars.

M13 / NGC 6205 · Hercules

Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Globular Cluster (300k stars)

Massive beehive of ancient stars packed tightly together into a blazing central ball.

M57 / NGC 6720 · Lyra

The Ring Nebula

Planetary Nebula

Delicate glowing smoke-ring left behind by a dying star 2,500 light-years away.